Researchers clear up Alzheimer's plaques in mice

I think we tend to ignore research when we see the word mice. But, this is where medical research often starts. I find this research interesting and promising. If you would like to read more follow the link in the clip.

Blocking a common immune system response cleared up plaques associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and enabled treated mice to recover some lost memory, Yale University researchers report Friday in the journal Nature Medicine.

clipped from www.physorg.com Researchers hope the new approach may one day overcome one of the biggest obstacles to development of new dementia medications – the difficulty in finding drugs that can safely cross the blood-brain barrier. The results of the research surprised the scientists working in the lab of Richard Flavell, senior author of the paper, chairman of the Department of Immunobiology at Yale and investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Flavell’s team originally thought that blocking the immune system molecule TGF-â(or transforming growth factor), might actually increase the buildup of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s Disease the team found that as much as 90 percent of the plaques were eliminated from the brains of mice genetically engineered to block TGF-â in the peripheral immune cells. It was like a vacuum cleaner had removed the plaques," Flavell said.

Clinical Trial: Effect of LY450139 on the Long Term Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

This study will use several different tests to measure the effect of LY450139 on both A-Beta amyloid and amyloid plaques for some patients. The build up of amyloid plaques will be measured by a new brain scan that can take a picture of amyloid plaques in the brain.

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Purpose

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal degenerative disease of the brain for which there is no cure. AD causes brain cells to die. AD is thought to be caused by an excess of A-Beta amyloid, a sticky protein in the brain that forms amyloid plaques. At autopsy, AD patients are required to have these amyloid plaques in the brain in order to have a definitive diagnosis of AD. Inhibiting the enzyme gamma-secretase inhibits the production of A-Beta amyloid as measured in blood and spinal fluid in humans tested thus far and in blood, spinal fluid and brain in animals tested thus far. This study will use several different tests to measure the effect of LY450139 on both A-Beta amyloid and amyloid plaques for some patients. The build up of amyloid plaques will be measured by a new brain scan that can take a picture of amyloid plaques in the brain. Other tests will attempt to measure the overall function of the brain and brain size in some patients. In this trial, patients who initially receive placebo (inactive sugar pill) will at a certain point in the study be switched over to active drug, LY450139. In other words, all patients will eventually receive active drug. Each patient's participation will last approximately two years. Patients taking approved AD medications may participate in this study and continue taking these medications during the study. All patients who complete this study will have the option to continue receiving LY450139 by participating in an open label study.

Eligibility
Ages Eligible for Study: 55 Years and older
Genders Eligible for Study: Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Meets criteria for mild to moderate AD with Mini-Mental State Examination score of 16 through 26 at visit 1
* Modified Hachinski Ischemia Scale score of less than or equal to 4
* Geriatric Depression Scale score of less than or equal to 6
* A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT)scan in the last 2 years with no findings inconsistent with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
* If female must be without menstruation for at least 12 consecutive months or have had both ovaries removed.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Is not capable of swallowing whole oral medication
* Has serious or unstable illnesses
* Does not have a reliable caregiver
* Chronic alcohol or drug abuse within the past 5 years
* Has ever had active vaccination for AD


Contacts and Locations

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00594568

Contacts
Contact: There may be multiple sites in this clinical trial 1-877-CTLILLY (1-877-285-4559) or 1-317-615-4559


Locations and More Information

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease and Memory Loss in Later Life